A few weeks ago I started to work in a new, non-full-time position at PBHS as an SEO developer. As I never did such work before I have a lot to learn. I will try to keep track of my learning here, on my blog. I suspect that I cannot write down everything I do as a lot of the information is confidential. But the more public aspects of my learning curve will show up here. Including musings on the contents of various SEO blog posts.

A quick word for those who are not familiar with “SEO.” It is the abbreviation for Search Engine Optimization, that Wikipedia defines  as “the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results.”

My new job has plenty of advantages:

1. Knowledge – I can learn a whole new set of marketable skills, in an up and coming field.
2. Technology – I was given Mac with a nice big screen to work on. (An iMac Core 2 Duo with a 24 inch screen ) I haven’t used Mac Os X more than an hour two in the past, so it will be great to become “ambidextrous” again in the computer world. (I was a “Mac only” person between 1992 and 1999. Became a PC user when I got a corporate job in 2000 and had both a PC and a Mac on my desk for almost two years. Since 2002 I’ve been working on PCs only. Now it is–way past–time to become comfortable on the Mac platform.)
3. Social – I am working in an office and can (and do) communicate with colleagues. This provides a chance to heal my growing cabin fever, after working from home for the last 4 years. (And having worked from home offices for 12+ years out of the 16 I lived in the US.)
4. Self-esteem – My work will matter. I have been building websites on and off since 1994, but rarely built successful business sites. I like to fee useful that I am providing value for my customers. As an SEO developer at PBHS it is very tangible: we measure how are clients websites are doing. Instead of meddling with my own little sites (with no risk as my livelihood does not depend on them) or corporate intranets (where the ROI is harder to measure) I can work on multipe clients’ sites evry day and making a visible difference to their bottom line. Feels good.
5. Financial- Helps paying the bills.+1. Health – There is an excellent gym, I mean “Health Club,” a couple of blocks from the office, that our family joined and I have been going to almost every second day, since I started my new job. My body and mood is in much better shape already.